To optimize that first meal, holistic nutritionist Kelly LeVeque shares a few tips on what to eat and what to avoid when breaking a fast. As for when to break a fast? In a mindbodygreen podcast episode, LeVeque says it’s important to eat when you start to feel hungry rather than waiting until you’re ravenous. That’s when you start making unhealthy decisions, she explains. “Research tells us if you come out of a fast into a high glycemic meal, blood sugar goes higher, insulin goes higher, inflammatory markers go higher.” Combined, these effects reverse any potential benefits you would have gained from fasting. In other words, there are foods to eat and foods to avoid as your first meal of the day—but, what are they? However, quality does matter when choosing a protein source. If your protein is coming from an animal, she recommends looking for pasture-raised and regenerative farms. If it’s coming from a plant, LeVeque recommends beans, legumes, and other cellular foods rich in phytochemicals and fiber. LeVeque also has a few go-to meal recommendations: While alt-meats may have certain environmental benefits, LeVeque says to avoid those inflammatory, processed proteins. Sticking with whole foods will better promote satiety and overall health, she explains. In general, eating a breakfast high in refined sugars or carbohydrates, and low in fiber and protein, will likely lead to a blood sugar crash and increased hunger later on.
